An Interview with J.I.Packer on the Mortification of Sin

Thirty Five Reasons Not To Sin

1.    Because a little sin leads to more sin.

2.    Because my sin invites the discipline of God.

3.    Because the time spent in my sin is forever wasted.

4.    Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God Who loves me,

5.    Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.

6.    Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.

7.    Because I am doing what I do not have to do.

8.    Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.

9.    Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.

10. Because my sin saddens the godly.

11. Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.

12. Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when I have really lost.

13. Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.

14. Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.

15. Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.

16. Because sin is a very brief pleasure for an eternal loss.

17. Because my sin may influence others to sin.

18. Because my sin may keep others from knowing Christ.

19. Because sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.

20. Because it is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time,

21. Because God chooses not to respect he prayers of those who cherish their sin.

22. Because sin steals my reputation and robs me of my testimony.

23. Because others once more earnest than have been destroyed by just such sins.

24. Because the inhabitants of heaven and hell would all testify to the foolishness of this sin.

25. Because sin and guilt may harm both mind and body.

26. Because sins mixed with service make the things of God tasteless.

27. Because suffering for sin has no joy or reward, though suffering for righteousness has both.

28. Because my sin is adultery with the world.

29. Because, though forgiven, I will review this very sin at the Judgment Seat where loss and gain of eternal rewards are applied.

30. Because I can never really know ahead of time just how severe the discipline for my sin might be.

31. Because my sin may be an indication of a lost condition.

32. Because to sin is to not love Christ.

33. Because my unwillingness to reject this sin now grants it an authority over me greater than I wish to believe.

34. Because sin glorifies God only in His judgment of it and His turning of it to good use; never because it is worth anything on its own.

35. Because I promised God He would be Lord of my life.

RELINQUISH YOUR RIGHTS

REJECT THE SIN

RENEW THE MIND

RELY ON GOD

The Scandal of Sin

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins (Ephes. 2:1).

God hates sin (cf. Deut. 12:31). Sin is abominable to God. 

His eyes “are too pure to approve evil, and [He cannot] look on wickedness with favor” (Hab. 1:13). 

Sin is contrary to God's very nature (Isa. 6:3; 1 Jn. 1:5). 

The ultimate penalty – death - is exacted for every infrac­tion against the divine law (Ezek. 18:4, 20; Rom. 6:23). 

Even the very smallest transgression is worthy of the same severe penalty: "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all" (Jas. 2:10).

Sin stains the soul. It darkens the mind. It pollutes and it defiles.  All sin is gross, disgusting, loathsome, revolting in God's sight. 

Scripture calls it “filthiness” (Prov. 30:12; Ezek. 24:13; Jas. 1:21). 

Sin is compared to vomit, and sinners are the dogs who lick it up (Prov. 26:11; 2 Pet. 2:22). 

Sin is called mire, and sinners are the swine who love to wallow in it (Ps. 69:2; 2 Pet. 2:22).

Sin is likened to a putrefying corpse, and sinners are the tombs that contain the stench and foulness (Matt. 23:27).  Sin has turned humanity into a polluted, befouled race.

Sin is what we do we our hearts are not satisfied with God.

The terrifying consequences of sin include hell of which Jesus said, "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell" (Matt. 5:30).

Scripture describes hell as a dreadful, hideous place where sinners are "tormented with fire and brimstone.... And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night” (Rev. 14:10-11).

God wants us to understand the exceeding sinfulness of sin (Rom. 7:13).  We dare not take it lightly or trivialize our own guilt.  When we really see sin for what it is, we must hate it. 

Scripture goes even further than that: "You will remember your ways and all your deeds, with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil things that you have done” (Ezek. 20:43, emphasis added). 

In other words, when we truly see what sin is, far from achieving self-esteem, we will despise ourselves.

Sin pervades our innermost beings and it is at the very core of the human soul. 

"Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and slanders.  These are the things which defile the man" (Matt. 15:19-20).

"The evil man out of the evil treasure [of his heart] brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart" (Lk. 6:45).

The cross is proof of the immense love of God and the profound wickedness of sin. Consider our Savoir hanging on the cross - the sinless, spot­less, Lamb of God, bearing the sins of the world (cf. Jn. 1:29).  Hear Him cry in agony, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" - that is, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46).  Realize that nothing short of the shed blood of Christ (the eternal, beloved Son of God Himself) could have atoned for sin. 

The weight of our guilt must have been infinitely heavy and the heinousness of our sin indescrib­ably black to require such a sacrifice!  And God's love must have been inexpressibly rich to allow it!

Sin is a horrible malignancy for which there is no human cure. We are sick with sin from top to bottom, within and without. Sinners cannot improve their own condition.

Jeremiah 13:23 says, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?  Then you also can do good who are accustomed to doing evil.”

Sin is so much a part of our nature and we love it so much that we are unable to break away from its domination over our lives. 

We love darkness rather than light (Jn.3: 19). 

The unregenerate mind is naturally "hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:7-8, emphasis added). 

Unredeemed sin­ners are slaves of their sin (Jn 8:34; Rom. 6:20). 

As Job asked, "Who can make the clean out of the unclean?  No one!" (Job 14:4). 

No amount of tears can atone for sin.

No number of good deeds can make amends for wrong we have done against God. 

No quantity of prayer or personal devotion can extenuate our guilt or cover it in any way. 

Even everlasting burning in hell will not purify the soul from sin. 

In the human realm there is nothing in time or eternity that can free us from the guilt of our sin.  Those who seek a do-it­ yourself solution to the problem of sin only shackle themselves all the more securely to their guilt.

Moreover, the smallest sin is so exceedingly vile that God - de­spite His infinite mercy, grace, and forgiveness - will not and cannot overlook even one sin without exacting its full penalty.  And its penalty is death.

There is only one solution – Jesus Christ.  Only Christ can satisfy God’s perfect righteousness and enable Him to display His rich mercy toward sinners.  The cross of Christ provided the way by enabling the only Perfect Sacrifice to atone for human sin once for all.

And because of the sin of Adam and Eve we are all sinners (Rom 5:12-18).  And because we are sinners we are dead even as we live.  And how are we dead?  We are dead spiritually.  And how dead are we? The answer to that question is for another post.